


a fronte praecipitium, a tergo lupi

by EverythingGeeky



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin never gets crispy, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:00:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24275485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverythingGeeky/pseuds/EverythingGeeky
Summary: "a precipice in front, wolves behind"Anakin has been increasingly distant in the last few weeks and reader has noticed. Suddenly, Anakin makes a proposal that reader can no longer resist. She never expected the horrors that followed. Originally posted on Tumblr.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker/Reader, Darth Vader/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	1. part one

“Has anyone told you that you look absolutely ravishing?” Anakin spoke up, stepping into your quarters after a long day engaged in battle. Sears from a lightsaber scattered his robes, a heavy tatter covering one of his shoulders. You looked him over with concern, your gaze landing on his face.

“Well, not today,” you grinned, leaning up to peck his lips.

“My darling, you look stunning, as usual,” he smiled against your lips.

“Thank you. How was your mission?” you asked as Anakin followed you to the lounging area of your quarters.

“without a hitch,” Anakin responded, brushing his hands over the robes that would have said otherwise. Typical Skywalker hubris.

“Good, I can’t have my Jedi getting hurt out on the battlefield now, can I?”

“I’ll always come back home to you, dear,” he gingerly kissed the top of your head.

“You better.”

You fixed a warm and comforting meal for the two of you as you relaxed together on the couch. Resting your bowl on the table in front of you, you got comfortable for the evening. Laying your head on Anakin’s chest, you carried on a normal conversation, asking about the current war effort against the separatists, how Anakin was active in the war, and so on. The two of you sat in comfortable silence for the next few hours, your breath synchronizing with each other.

Anakin shifted uncomfortably in his seat underneath you. You sat up briefly in your spot to give him space to adjust. He pulled you back into his chest instead.

“So I’ve been thinking…” Anakin leads quietly, filling the empty space.

“About what, dear…?”

“I’m leaving the Jedi...I’m leaving the Order,” he continued, gaining confidence as he uttered the words aloud for the first time.

“What?”

“I’m leaving. Will you come with me?”

“Anakin...you’re speaking madness.”

“Love, this could be our time. I have the ability to have true power as no other Jedi has ever known. And I want you to rule with me.”

You stood, searching his face for any sign of a decision that was already made before he had stepped into your room tonight.

You can see the distraught in his eyes. He is standing on the ledge of a precipice so far above the ground and he is ready to launch himself into the abyss.

A man stuck between two sides of the force. 

Without another word, Anakin walked away from you to stand on your balcony, looking out onto the vast expanse of the Coruscanti skyline, contemplating his future within the Jedi Order. Was this where he belonged? In the most recent weeks, he felt otherwise; the thought lingering in the back of his mind since he was a padawan.

Suddenly, Anakin reaches his hand out to you, asking you to be his empress. Your eyes flicked from his open palm to his face, his expression softening ever so slightly.

“Y/N...the power you could have by my side…”

“Ani...I can’t…”

“Why not? If you do, you’ll be by my side forever.”

“I thought you loved me,” you pleaded, “and if you did, you wouldn’t do this.”

He had gone cold and you should have seen it earlier. In the weeks past, Anakin had increasingly pulled himself away from you and from his work as a Jedi. Had you been paying attention, you might have noticed it. Judgment clouded by love, you had considered it. A poor choice of actions on your behalf, nevertheless.

You mulled his words over in your mind. You were devoted to Anakin and vowed to love him forever, even if the Order forbade it. If you were to follow him, you could be free. Free to love him and act upon your passion without consequence. Of course, there were things you didn’t agree with about the Order and you now recognized the internal turmoil it caused Anakin.

You raised your hand from where it rested by your side, “forever?”

“Forever.”

Hesitantly, you placed your hand in his, confirming your allegiance to him. Anakin grinned wickedly, pulling you into his chest, cupping your face tightly, kissing you hard. In a moment of pure passion, your hesitation drowned away. After a few moments, Anakin pulled away.

“I’ll speak to the Chancellor tomorrow. He has a great plan in store for you and I. True, unabashed power.”

“All I care about is you, Anakin.”

“You’ll never have to worry again, sweetheart.”

You and Anakin went to bed late that night following a dizzying, passionate lovemaking session where Anakin pledged his allegiance to you as his empress.

You weren’t prepared for what followed in the days ahead. Darth Sidious had executed Order 66, slaying all the existing Jedi. You were told to go into hiding until Anakin and Sidious had considered it safe for you to return. The following days were lonely; harrowingly lonely. You received no update on the success of the command, nor on Anakin’s condition. 

About a week later, you received notice that it would be safe to reunite with Anakin, now known to the galaxy as Darth Vader. When the guards had arrived at your secret location on the star destroyer, you could sense the cold in the room. The guards parted ways and Anakin walked through them as their Emporer’s apprentice. Heavy armor weighed down his frame, affecting his gait. Now a man shrouded by power, he came home to you to envelop you in the same way he had before he left.

Dropping the mask to the side, he rushed to you, pulling your body to his body with ease.

“Darling, I missed you so much. I was so worried about you,” Anakin muttered into your neck.

“Worried? I was worried about you…” you pulled him tighter to you, memorizing his new powerful form.

Anakin was the first to pull away. You took one more look at his armor.

“Is this your new look…?”

Anakin raised his arms, “for the Empire, sweetheart.”

“Empire?”

“Yes, my new empire...our new empire…” he corrected.

Nodding to yourself, “ours,” you manifested looking to the floor.

“Are you having second thoughts…?”

“Anakin...what the guards told me...all this death...murder…I don’t think I can do this.”

He cupped your face into his hands, “don’t worry about that. Think about what you and I can achieve together.”

Anakin releases you, allowing you to rest in your original position. 

You thought over your decision, reminding yourself of the opportunity that lies with the Sith. This was your moment to be free in your feelings and act upon your passion. Anger was accepted and was utilized to gain an advantage over the enemy. As a Sith, you could love Anakin openly and use that passion to take down those that try to stand in your way. This new future could be where you and Anakin belonged; he clearly had felt that it was.

“Darling, I have a gift for you. Something that is very important to your new role as my empress,” Anakin said, pulling a sleeve from his belt, handing it over to you.

“What is it?”

“Open it and find out. It’s for you.”

You shed the velvet sleeve from the hilt of the lightsaber. You tested it out in your hand, tossing it back and forth from one hand to the other. It was sleek, black, and featured an ornamental floral engraving in the main hilt of the saber.

“It’s beautiful, Anakin.”

“I designed it myself. Go ahead, try it out.”

You stepped back a reasonable distance before igniting the blade. An angry red extended from the hilt, to which you grinned as you examined your new weapon.

“I think it suits you,” Anakin smirked.

“I do too,” you twirled the saber once, before disengaging the blade.

“Of course you’ll need training, but I have time set aside to do so. It’s critical to your role that you be trained to fight in order to execute the missions we have planned for you.”

“Planned for me?”

“Of course, you are not just ornamental, sweetheart. The Empire has a great plan for you.”

“Thank you, Anakin.”

“You’re welcome. Now, this weapon is everything. Do not take it lightly.”

“I see Obi-Wan has left his mark on you…”

Anakin’s demeanor changes in an instant, “Do not…! Mention his name,” he spits.

You shuffle back, fearful of the man Anakin has become.

“I’m sorry.”

He ignores your apology and walks to the window that borders your new quarters on the Star Destroyer. Looking out onto the expanse of the galaxy, he takes a moment to collect himself.

“The man I was in the past no longer exists. I am Darth Vader.”

“Anakin…”

“Only you are allowed to call me that. When we’re alone.”

“Are you asking me to lie to the galaxy about my love for you?” you eased closer to him.

“Quite the opposite. Act upon it. You’ll have a mission next week. There is a rumor of a rebellion in a distant system. You will be deployed there on a secret mission to receive intel about what they know about the Empire. You will crush the rebellion before it has any strength,” Anakin speaks coldly.

“Of course.”

“We will begin training this week.”

Later that week, when Anakin had returned from another mission, he finally deemed it time to train you to use your new lightsaber. Of course, you were an exception to the regularly accepted lightsaber users. Many looked on with jealousy; the apprentice’s girl is what they had chosen to call you for the time being. Soon enough, they will bow down to you and call you queen, as you deserve.

Anakin first started with the basics, gradually increasing the difficulty of the skills and maneuvers he had taught you. Later, he left you to train with the remotes, as he once had as a Jedi padawan. You would have thought that the Sith would have had a more rigorous and brutal training program, one that required a similar sacrifice as receiving your title.

You pushed the stray strands of hair that threatened to interfere away from your face. Settling yourself into the soles of your boots, you slash through the program of the remote with ease. When Anakin enters the room again, he looks impressed. Shoulders pressed backward, posture high.

“Very good, my empress. Soon enough you’ll be ready to do the Empire’s highest bidding.”

You grinned, standing tall, confident in your new role by Anakin’s side.

“The galaxy soon will see what true power looks like. It’s you. With me by your side.”

With a nod, Anakin disengaged the program. 

“Go rest, the days upcoming will be taxing.”

“Yes, my lord,” you semi-bow, leaving the training facilities to head back to your quarters to refresh.

Anakin returned a few hours later, once again shedding the mask and cape that covered his shoulders. Carefully storing them away in the bedroom. He walked over to you, pulling you into a comforting embrace. 

“You did well today. I was proud,” Anakin said softly.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he pecked your cheek softly.

Anakin pulls back from you, inviting you to relax for the evening. Had you known any better, you wouldn’t have noticed any distinct difference from your life before the Sith. Now, Anakin is covered in just a few more scars with a little more darkness covering his heart. Still, there was a space for you. A space set aside for just you. 

And maybe that spot was a little bit softer than the rest of Darth Vader.


	2. part two

Waking up the next morning was invigorating; this was your moment to assert your power in the Galactic Empire. Facing yourself in the mirror, you were forced to confront the woman you were now. You are strong and capable of completing the destiny of the Empire. 

However, there was a moment of hesitation, which seemed to come more often these days. Much like Anakin, your past as a Jedi often haunted you, threatening to pull you away from the dark side. 

You needed to prepare yourself to jump off the cliff and embrace your new role here. Rolling your shoulders back and standing tall, you looked into the mirror again. A strong woman who is soft around the edges must become hardened. It will happen in time.

You dressed in simple clothes to blend in with those on the rebellion base. Earth tones and neutral colors would disguise you in just the right way to complete the mission. You hid your lightsaber away and prepared for departure. Anakin had a few words for you before he let you go.

“Eliminate the scum, remind them of who rules them.”

“Yes, Lord Vader.”

He nodded to dismiss you, as you longed for more of a personal goodbye, you chose to push the feelings down instead. You boarded your shuttle and departed for the rebel base. 

The ride was smooth. You spent time thinking about what your future as empress would look like. You picture yourself in an elaborate gown, side-by-side with Anakin, complete in his Darth Vader persona. This is true power. You smile at the thought, pushing it away when it is time to land.

After your shuttle landed on the surface of the planet, you square your shoulders back and pocket the gifted lightsaber, preparing to trek the surface. Shifting into a softer persona to befriend the rebels, you exit your ship and start looking around for a sign of life.

You walk for what feels like miles through the greenery of Yavin 4, exhaustion weighing heavy on your body. As your feet grow increasingly weary, you find a collection of rebels seated around a fire, carrying on in a conversation. 

“Hello there….is this the rebel base? I heard tricklings from my system that you were looking for some help,” you said in mock innocence, your voice in a higher pitch than normal.

The rebels looked between one another and nodded, signaling for you to join their group with an open palmed wave.

“Looking to join the rebellion, eh?” A man speaks up.

“That’s the goal,” you chuckled, taking a seat.

“What brings you here, then?” Another voice spoke up from around the campfire.

“Not really a huge fan of dictatorship, I suppose,” your mind wandered to the Emporer, how he had been playing both sides of the Senate for long overdue. 

You had been pulled from the good side; your desire to follow love much stronger than your desire to reassert good in the galaxy. Was this weakness? 

Your time on the rebel base was sure to tell. As of this moment, Anakin insisted that there was a plan for you. The struggle between light and dark defined your existence these days. Eventually, you believed you would settle on one side or the other. And hopefully not betray Anakin in the meantime. 

“There are tricklings from our sources in the Empire that the Emporer is planning to do something viler than anyone has seen before in the galaxy,” a younger man spoke up from his seat. 

“Oh?” you inquired, not even you have heard of these plans. Perhaps as Anakin’s Empress, you were not granted such power.

“The Empire is gearing up for destruction and total control over our sector of the galaxy, with many more in the plans.”

You nodded, thinking over what you know, “how do they plan to do this?”

“The rumor is there’s a weapon.”

“A weapon?”

“The planet-destroying kind.”

“Huh,” and that was it. 

Keep to yourself. Eliminate the rebels. That was your mission. Establish what they know and what they don’t.

You sat with the group for hours, getting to know one another. Your sides hurt by the end of the night from passing jokes between one another. With the gentle ache in your diaphragm, you retired to your cot in the camp with the rebels. The leader promised you special training over the course of the week. 

The next day was spent training with rebel leaders on the base. 

The remains of the Jedi Order were unknown here, many of the rebels specialized in hand-to-hand combat or piloting. You squared off with the head leader, Val. You settled your feet into the ground about a foot apart from one another. As you settled into your stance, you thought back to your training with Anakin; your thoughts were calculated and precise. Here, you felt distracted, you reached out through the force for Anakin, with no response.

Anakin had taught you how to use a saber, to defend yourself but also to attack. Applying your strategies with simple punches and kicks, Val was impressed by your ability to fight off a threat.

“Where’d you learn to fight like that, kid?” she asked after you had landed a particularly nasty punch to her upper arm.

“My dad always said ladies should know how to fight.”

“Sounds like a good man,” she dismissed you, breaking her fighting stance to brush herself off.

“Yeah...he was,” you sighed, remember your father who had been the one to encourage you to join the Jedi, recognizing the power you had as a child.

You thought back to your youth when other children were playing with blocks, you were busy manipulating objects in space, amazed with the power that flowed through your fingers. Your parents were initially afraid of it; hiding you away, keeping you from the other children that ran through the streets. Eventually, they began to understand that they could no longer raise you considering the gifts you had.

You didn’t have much of a choice as you boarded the shuttle. Force-sensitive, they called it. As you grew from a youngling to padawan, eventually graduating, you had learned to master the force like the Jedi beside you. Here, on Yavin, you had to hide your force abilities, although they are much weaker than some beings, such as your own lover.

Anakin was the chosen one; he had brought balance to the force. The Jedi ruled for years with more control and numerous Jedi, outnumbering the few Sith that lived on. This is why the Emporer’s plan was so crucial to the galaxy. It was the true reading of the prophecy, after all. Anakin and you would work together to fulfill the destiny for the galaxy. In power and in love, you could conquer all.

You felt these feelings of passion take over your body as you again, tried to force them down. This was the reason for your expedition to the rebel base. The scum must be eliminated, per the Emporer’s direction, through Anakin’s command. Destiny fulfilled.

As you trained on the rebel base, you began to understand your role in the Empire. The rebels were disorganized and disillusioned. They were idealistic about the future of the galaxy. If they had known the plan that was in store for them, they would begin to understand that their future was a prophecy that was written many years ago by an intelligent maker beyond knowledge.

The Empire represented balance and truth. And you were here to maintain that.

You tossed in turned in your cot that night for what felt like hours. The feeling was indescribable. An all-consuming knowing is what you attributed it to. You felt a sense of purpose and a clear path of action.

You swung your legs over the side of the canvas cot, dug for your lightsaber in the layers of clothing, and ignited the hilt. The angry, unstable red of the blade ignited the room, shining upon the sleeping faces of the rebels. With fierce, determined steps you hovered over the cots of the rebels.

Such innocent, delirious sleeping faces, you thought to yourself. Their naivety was a weakness that must be eliminated. With one slash forward, you cut through the chest of one of the rebels, moving to the next with the same passion.

Finally, you landed upon Val’s cot. Raising the blade of your saber over your head, you prepared to land the blade into her chest when she turned to meet you. 

“I knew you were angry…” she whispered into the dark night, dripping bodies of her fellow rebels lying restless in their cots.

“The rebels are disillusioned. The Empire knows what is in store for you.”

“There will always be rulers like you,” she spits, rising to reach for her own weapon, “but there will always be those that will fight for justice,” she finishes as she raises her weapon to collide with your blade.

“And there will always be those who are too foolish to see the truth!” you exclaim, bringing the blade into her ribs as she stumbled to the ground.

You pin the blade to her neck. The silver floral hilt glimmers in the pale light; you take a moment to admire the gift.

“You lack the courage to beg for mercy…” you purr.

“The rebellion will hear of my death at the hands of the Empire’s empress. We will not go unnoticed. The Empire will pay for what it has done…”

“Oh shut up,” you hiss, finally slashing through the neck of the rebel that sparred with you as cohorts mere hours before.

You disengaged the blade of your saber once again before leaving the scene. You trekked through the same green path as you did when you landed yesterday, picking up the commlink to get in touch with the Empire once you’ve made it a safe distance.

“This is the Empress. I need to speak with the Apprentice.”

Anakin’s modified breaths filled the space before his voice, “my queen.”

“The mission was a success, Anakin. The rebels have been eliminated. Weak and foolish. Dead in their own beds…” you replayed the memory of your lightsaber piercing through flesh in your mind. The memory filled your bloodstream with adrenaline.

You boarded the ship as Anakin replied, “very good, my empress. Come back to us. We will receive you proudly,” he stated, the line going immediately dead.

Sitting, you smirked to yourself, punching in the correct coordinates, flying away to reunite with your lover once again.

Your shuttle docked and you left the ship, walking back onto the Star Destroyer. Anakin was there to meet you, helmet and all.

“It is good to see you again, my queen. Let’s wash the blood from your hands…” he held his hand out to you.

You took it, allowing him to guide you through the halls of the Destroyer to your shared quarters. As you were safely hidden away in the security of your own room, he shed the heavy gear that consumed his alter ego. He sighed sitting down the helmet, turning to you.

“I missed you, Anakin,” you said softly, stepping up to him, to reach your arms around him.

He hugged you back, resting his chin gently on the top of your head, “I missed you too, my dear, but I am very proud of the work that you have done for the Empire.”

“Thank you…”

“Of course,” he tips your chin up to meet his face, leaning in for a gentle yet passionate kiss.

You reciprocated the kiss, growing more passionate by the moment. Hands began to wander each other’s bodies as you continued to kiss him with immense passion. As two souls reunite, you made your way to the bed. 

Anakin laid you down gently on your back, lips leaving your lips to kiss over your jaw and then down your neck. Finding any exposed skin that he could, he made sure to pepper it with light kisses. He glided his hands in between the layers of neutral clothing that disguised you.

“My queen…”

“Ani…”

“Yes, my dear..?”

“Touch me…” you whined.

He chuckled, pulling your clothes from your body, littering the floor around the bed. In his wake, he continued the trail of kisses, accenting with the occasional nip. Your fingers twisted their way into his curls, tugging slightly to beg for more.

Without another word, Anakin rolled over onto his back, pulling you atop his now bare waist.

“Show your emperor what you can do…”

“Yes, my lord,” you smirked, rolling yourself onto him.

Your pace was smooth, Anakin gripped onto your hips as he leaned his head back in pleasure. Accenting your moans that filled the room with quiet groans.

Anakin praised you over and over that night, affirming your place by his side as his queen. He showered you in “I love yous” and so much more. Warmth radiated inside you, building as you approach climax. 

With a hand spread on Anakin’s abdomen, you reciprocate his praises to him, admiring his strength as the Emperor’s apprentice. This was his true place in the galaxy; with you, ruling over those beneath him. 

You fell over the edge of the precipice together, huffing and sighing heavily from the overwhelming pleasure seizing through your bones. Rolling off of Anakin to lay beside him, he turned to face you.

“The Empire will surely have great plans for you, my dear. Right beside me.”


End file.
